Ron and Hermione and the Sorcer's Stone
by alexis0392
Summary: The Harry Potter series through the eyes of Ron and Hermione, and some extra scenes we didn't get to read. Begins with the two receiving their Hogwarts letters, and continues with their trips to Diagon Alley. As this is the first of the seven stories, there isn't any sexual tension between Ron and Hermione, but because of Ron's tendency to swear, I gave it an M rating. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: The Letters

Chapter 1: The Letters

(Hermione POV)

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror of her bathroom, just as she had done everyday for as long as she could remember. Same bushy brown hair. Same large brown eyes. Same front teeth that were just a tad too large. Everything was the same. Nothing ever changed. Her life was a monotonous blur, and she was absolutely sick of it. She was only ten years old, and still, she felt as though life was boring. She didn't have as much fun as the other children did when watching television, listening to music on their iPods, playing video games, and going on the computer to use the internet. It was interesting at first, but after a while, it became dull and uninteresting. Hermione was used to being a bit of an outcast among her peers. They loved their electronics, and she loved her books.

Books. Such wonderful creations they were. Each one of them a little story for her to escape to. A little place for her to get lost in the characters and the worlds they lived in. She loved all types of books and genres, but her favorite, at the moment, was fantasy, or, more specifically, those involving witches and wizards. Hermione loved everything to do with magic. Not only the thought of it, but the feelings she got from merely reading about it. She felt a connection to these people, and for the first time, felt as though she truly understood someone. Her longing to be accepted by her peers was growing ever stronger, but she couldn't help but know, deep down, that she would never fit in. The only place she felt as though she could be accepted was in her books…_if only it were real…if only magic truly existed. _Hermione laughed at herself. _Stop it Hermione. There's no such thing as magic. _She gave herself one last sad look in the mirror, and made her way downstairs for breakfast.

As she entered the kitchen, she saw her mother at the stove, cooking eggs and making toast, while her father sat at the head of the table drinking his tea, waiting for _The Times _to arrive. Her mother, Jean Granger, was a very pretty woman. She had bright green eyes that contrasted brilliantly with her pale skin, and her brown hair, while curly like Hermione's, was not as bushy. She was about average height, measuring at 5'5", and had a petite figure. Her father, Richard Granger, was slightly taller than his wife, but still average for a man. He was 5'10" and had light brown hair, brown eyes, and an average build. Both were dressed for work where they were partners at their Dental Practice, Granger Dentistry.

"Hermione, would you set the table while I finish breakfast?" Her mother asked, as she slid 3 fried eggs onto individual plates, and made her way to the fridge to retrieve jam for their toast.

Hermione took out the placemats and silverware, and made her way over to the table to set it. When she completed her task, she took a seat next to her father and pulled out a copy of The Amulet of Samarkand. Just as she began reading, her mother placed their plates on the table and sat down across from her daughter.

"Breakfast is served," she said with a smile. "Hermione, please put away your book and eat your food while it's still warm."

Hermione replaced her novel with her fork and took a bite of egg. As she chewed, she noticed her parents looking between one another before giving each other identical nods. Her father looked at her as he cleared his throat.

"Hermione, your mother and I wish to speak with you about something… something that is rather…" He trailed off, not knowing how to put into words the bizarre nature of what he needed to tell his daughter.

"Hermione," her mother tried to continue where her father couldn't, "your father and I were visited 2 nights ago by the Headmaster of a prestigious boarding school in Scotland."

"What? When were you looking at a boarding school in Scotland?" Hermione asked, before she realized something. "When were you looking to send me to Boarding school?" Hermione was flabbergasted. They wanted to send her away! Her parents, the only two people she really had a connection to in this world, wanted to ship her off to some BOARDING SCHOOL in SCOTLAND!

"Let us finish Hermione," soothed her mother, reaching her hand across the table and placing it over her daughter's. "We weren't looking to send you to boarding school at all; however, we feel as though you would be quite interested in this one in particular."

Just as Jean finished her sentence, the squeak of the mail slot hinge could be heard, and the thud of the morning's mail dropping on the entrance mat sounded throughout the quiet kitchen. Hermione, needing a breath of fresh air from the suddenly claustrophobic kitchen, scooted out of her chair, and went to grab the morning mail. She shuffled through the letters, still needing a minute to catch her breath. _Bills. Bills. Bills. Postcard. Bills. _She started to walk back to the kitchen when she came upon a rather thick envelope. It was packaged in a thick parchment, and stamped with a wax seal, and above it had a crest that read _Hogwarts. _Hermione turned the letter over and read the elegant green script.

MISS. H. GRANGER

The 3rd Floor Bedroom

17 ARID DRIVE

Guildford

SURREY.

Hermione's heart stopped. She looked up and realized she was standing in the middle of the kitchen's doorway. Her parents were sitting at the table, both staring at her expectantly. She held up the letter for them to see.

"The boarding school in Scotland, it wasn't called _Hogwarts_ by any chance, was it?" She asked with a quiver to her voice. She didn't know what exactly was in this letter, but she knew, without a doubt, that its contents would change her life. Why else would her parents be staring at her as though she were about to disappear forever?

Jean and Richard continued to sit at their seats in silence, staring at their daughter for what may be the last time before she was swept off to a new life. They memorized their little girl in that moment, the last moment they truly had with her, before she discovered she was a witch. When they were visited by Albus Dumbledore two nights before, they were reluctant to accept the knowledge of their daughter having any magical abilities. Who was this funny dressed man to come into their home making these ridiculous claims about Hermione, and telling them she had been accepted into a magical school for young witches and wizards? Yes, magic was allowed to exist in one's fantasy, but there was no place for it in the real world. It was simply absurd. But the more they thought about it, the more they knew it to be true. Their daughter had always been special, always been different. As Dumbledore silently stared at them through his half moon spectacles, they remembered all of the strange occurrences they had shrugged off over the years. The time Mrs. Granger found Hermione reading a book that Jean had taken away from her so she would come and eat her breakfast. The time Richard was unable to open Hermione's door after her classmates had made fun of her, even though the door had no lock. The two parents had looked at each other, and slowly started to accept the reality they were facing. That night, after Dumbledore's departure, Mr. and Mrs. Granger decided to support Hermione's decision, whatever it may be.

And so, Jean and Richard sat staring at their daughter, frozen in their seats, as Hermione stood just the same, looking expectantly at her mother and father, still holding the _Hogwarts_ envelope out in front of her, as the rest of the morning mail lay forgotten in her other hand. Suddenly, the loud screech of Richard's chair being pushed from its seat echoed throughout the silent kitchen as he stood from the table. He strode confidently towards his daughter, never breaking eye contact, and put his hand on her shoulder. Hermione looked deep into her father's eyes, and saw encouragement, excitement, with a touch of fear swimming in his chocolaty depths. With a shaking hand, Hermione brought the heavy envelope up to her own eyes, and tentatively began to open her letter.

In the same elegant green script, Hermione read:

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme

Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find a list of all necessary book and equipment. Items can be found at Diagon Alley, entrance of which is at the Leaky Cauldron, 12 Charing Cross Road in London. Muggle money can be transferred to Wizard gold at Gringott's Bank.

Term begins on September 1. The Hogwarts Express departs from Kings Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾, at precisely 9:00 a.m. We await your owl by no later than Jully 31.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Hermione felt as though her heart was in her throat. _This has to be a joke. Magic can't be real. I can't be a, a, a witch… It's absurd. And yet…_ Hermione looked back up at her parents who both wore identical smiles on their faces as they watched their daughter's eyes frantically read the letter from _Hogwarts_.

Mrs. Granger was the first to break the silence. "Hermione, dear, are you alright?" It had been five minutes, and Hermione still grasped the thick parchment as though she thought it would escape her steel grip. Her eyes shot to her mother's concerned face, and she opened her mouth, still stunned.

"What… How… I don't, I don't understand. How is this possible? Is this a joke?" Hermione choked out the sentence that she was most nervous about. It had to be a joke, it just had to be. As much as she dreaded the truth of it being a joke, she had to know. She was no coward. As much as it would hurt, she would survive. And yet, her parents didn't confirm her fear; instead, they looked at her with the same encouraging smiles they wore before.

"I'm… I'm a witch?" Hermione said, not believing it as the words escaped her lips, but somehow knowing it was true all the same. "I'm a witch." She said again, more confidently, before bursting into a radiant smile. "I'm a witch!" Her parents shared a smile that held a hint of sorrow. They were happy for their daughter and her new discovery, but they knew that things would never be the same.

Hermione looked again at her letter, still bearing a smile that would make a Cheshire cat jealous. "It says we need to go to DIA-GON Alley for my supplies… Oh! The letter needs to be back by the 31st of July! What's today?" Hermione raced to the calendar, seeing that it was the 20th of July. "We have to send my response right away! Who knows how long it will take for an owl…" Hermione's adrenaline seemed to falter as she realized she didn't have an owl to respond with. She didn't even know how to respond with an owl.

Richard understood his daughter's predicament. He smiled at Hermione and told her, "Dumbledore informed us how to send your response. He will be sending an owl by 10:00 a.m., and we simply attach your answer to owl's foot." Hermione beamed up at her father once again, her happiness instantly returning with full force.

"I'm going to go upstairs to write my letter!" Hermione yelled as she sprinted out of the kitchen and up to her room. She sat down at her desk, pulled out a bit of parchment and a quill, and began to write, hoping against hope that this wasn't the most wonderful dream she'd ever had.

(Ron POV)

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_ Ron shot up out of his bed as the incessant clanging from the family ghoul rang around his room. He groaned and fell back down, his head hitting the wall as he did so. "Bloody hell!" He slid down his bed so his head rested against his pillow, and stared at his ceiling in disgust. He hated this stupid room, even if he did have it all to himself. The highest bloody room of his bloody house, right below the attic. He tossed and turned in his twin sized bed, feeling strangled by his Chudley Cannons comforter, as the summer heat smothered him. That was one of the main problems with sleeping right below the attic during the summer; his room became blisteringly hot. Finally escaping the comforter's grasp, Ron sat up in bed and looked around his room. Chudley Cannons posters lined the brown walls, his favorite team flying all around him. He had one window looking out to the family pond and garden, which was above an old, splintered desk. The desk didn't get much use, if he was going to be quite honest, since he had only recently acquired it. His father had brought it up here because Ron was to be starting school this fall, and during the holiday breaks would need a place to finish his school work. The only other pieces of furniture that were in his cramped room were the dresser by his door, and the trunk that was opposite of it, and was placed at the foot of his bed. He stood up, and placed his feet on the orange rug that was in the center of his room. As he stretched and ran his hands through his hair, he could already hear the signs of life downstairs, signaling that the rest of his family was already awake and starting breakfast.

Ron trudged downstairs, after making a quick stop at the loo, and took a seat at the chair closest to the end of the table, next to his brother Percy, who was already in a heated debate with his father about the news in that morning's _Daily Prophet_. The twins sat opposite Percy, himself, and Ginny, and were mocking Percy any chance they got, drawing delighted giggles out of Ginny. Ron watched as his mother gave Fred and George stern looks from the kitchen counter, where she was pointing her wand at the butter knife, which was buttering toast at an alarming speed; it tended to increase its pace depending on her mood. Ron sat at the corner of the table, going unnoticed by the rest of the family. He was used to this, however. While he wasn't the youngest of his seven siblings, he was the youngest boy. This might have been viewed as special in other families, but Ginny usually was on the receiving end of this type of special treatment, as she was the youngest child, and the only girl of the seven siblings. As much as Ron didn't like being forgotten, he had, unfortunately, gotten used to it.

It was while reaching in for a piece of the recently buttered toast, that a loud smashing sound came from the kitchen window.

"Errol's here with the mail, I take it." Said George, as he went over to the window to let the pitiful old owl into the kitchen. "Yup, fell right into thewindow box." George scooped up Errol and brought him into the kitchen, where the owl gave a thankful hoot, and went over to get some much needed water. George walked back to the table and flipped through the stack of letters in his hand. "Hogwarts letters. Blimey, is it that time already." George said as he handed out the letters to their respectful owners, finally landing on Ron. "Ah, first Hogwarts letter, Ronniekins."

"It seems like just yesterday we were turning his teddy bear into a spider, doesn't it George." Said Fred, dazing off, as if thinking back to a fond memory.

"They grow up so fast." Responded George, with that same dazed off look.

"Shut it." Said Ron, grabbing for his letter. He ripped it out of George's grip, and looked down to see the Hogwarts wax seal staring up at him. He turned the letter over and read,

MR. R. WEASLEY

The 5th floor bedroom

138 ARDENT AVE

Ottery St. Catchpole

DEVON

"Go on Ron, open it." Said Mrs. Weasley, who looked teary eyed and excited. Ron glanced up at his mother before looking back down at his letter. For as long as he could remember, his siblings had been going to this notorious school, and it was finally his turn. Ron was nervous, though. There was no way he would be able to mount to anything close to all that his brothers had already accomplished. Prefect, Head boy, Quidditch Captain, they had done everything of importance. Once again, Ron felt as though he would, undoubtedly, make his way through Hogwarts unnoticed. Ron took a deep breath, and tore open the wax seal, pulling out the thick parchment of his very first Hogwarts letter.


	2. Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

AN: Okay, so there's a few things that I would like to address. I am aware 1) that the stories technically take place before the time of iPods and cell phones, however, we're just going to pretend that they take place in present day, rather than the early 90's, and 2) I know that Hermione is 11 in the books, and the oldest of the group, but in this story, I'm making her turn 11 shortly after the group arrives at school. I don't know why, it's just a personal preference. So, with that in mind, here's chapter 2.

Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

(Hermione POV)

It had been 20 days since she received her letter from Hogwarts, and Hermione still found herself to be in shock. Yes, she was obviously excited, but the shock of it all continued to hit her like a ton of bricks. It was hard for her to grasp onto the knowledge of the information as she had never really seen anything magical to begin with. Her parents told her about the times they realized she was displaying her magical abilities, but it was very hard for her to understand, as she had no idea how she had done it in the first place. Along with shock and excitement, Hermione also began feeling apprehensive about what was to come, as she really didn't know what to expect. Not only was she leaving her parents and life behind to go to a boarding school in another country, but she would be entering an entirely different world as well. What if she was a horrible witch, and couldn't perform even the simplest of spells. All these children probably knew so much about the world they lived in, having grown up in wizarding families, and she just knew she would be incredibly behind on everything. Hermione had never been behind in anything in her life. She was a top student, often made fun of by being called a teacher's pet, and wouldn't settle for anything less than perfect marks. Attending a school for magic could be her undoing, even though it's what she desired above all else.

These were the fears Hermione went over in her head as she gathered her Hogwarts letter, and met her parents in her father's navy blue station wagon. The Grangers sat quietly in the car, listening to a talk radio station, as they made their way to the Leaky Cauldron. During the hour long car ride, Hermione read and reread her school supplies list, though she had already memorized it the day after she had received it. She didn't know which items she was most excited to purchase, the books or her wand. The thought of learning all new spells and potions from these books was almost more than she could handle, let alone the thought of getting her paws on as many history books as she could find. On the other hand, a magic wand would truly make her feel like a witch. Hermione smiled to herself, pushing her former fears of attending Hogwarts to the back of her mind, and continued to read her school supplies list.

Before she knew it, the car had turned left onto a little side road labeled Charing Cross, and found an open parking space almost instantly. Hermione looked out her window at all the men and women walking up and down the sidewalks, some talking on cell phones, others listening to iPods as they went about their daily lives. When the car was parked, Hermione unbuckled her seat at lightning speed and was out of the backseat before either of her parents. She continued to take in her surroundings, searching desperately for The Leaky Cauldron, as she heard the identical slamming sound of her parents shutting their car doors.

"Right. So it says here that we are looking for number 12." Said Jean, leaning over Hermione's shoulder to read the Hogwarts letter. Jean and Richard looked back and forth as they tried to spot their destination. They began to walk down the road, the numbers on the building getting smaller as they went, and it was after they had passed number 14 that Hermione saw The Leaky Cauldron for the first time. The broken down building looked incredibly unappealing, with it's boarded up windows and rotting wooden door. Hermione debated whether this could truly be where they were to meet, for this seemed like some cruel joke. Hermione tilted her head back and closed her eyes, realizing that that's what it must have been, just some horrible prank. _You were stupid for getting your hopes up, Hermione, _she thought to herself, as she felt her eyes prickle with tears. It wasn't until Hermione opened her eyes and brought her head back down that she noticed the worn, wooded, hanging sign above her. As she blinked away her tears, she saw the picture of a cauldron on the sign, and though there were no words to go along with the image, Hermione knew, without a doubt, that this was indeed the location of The Leaky Cauldron.

She turned to smile widely at her parents, only to find they had passed the building completely, and were instead standing in front of the Bookstore next door.

"Well this doesn't make any sense." Exclaimed Richard, as he looked at the bookstore with frustration. "This is number 10. Where on earth is number 12? Are you sure you read it right, Jean dear?" Richard asked his wife.

"Yes, I'm positive the letter read number 12 Charing Cross. Are we sure that the last building was number 14? Maybe that was number 12, and we just misread it." Replied Jean, trying to come up with an explanation. Hermione watched as her parents once again walked back to number 14, not even acknowledging the decrepit building she was standing in front of.

"No, no, no. Number 14! This doesn't make any bit of sense!" muttered Richard as he stared at the record store he was now standing by.

"Mum, dad, number 12 is right here." Said Hermione, pointing to the sign above her. Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked at Hermione, and then to the sign she was pointing to. Mr. Granger furrowed his brow, as his wife said, "Oh, of course. We, we must have just, just missed it." They both looked at one another, realizing they had walked passed the building twice, and would have probably done so again, had Hermione not brought it to their attention.

The black rotting door squeaked in protest as Hermione eagerly pulled it open, clutching the rusted handle in her hand, and entered the Leaky Cauldron for the very first time. The hustle and bustle of the restaurant forced Hermione's eyes to dart this way and that, trying to take in everything at once; she didn't want to miss a thing. As she watched the room around her, she smiled in delight at the magic being displayed all around her. There was a man in the corner adding pepper to his soup by pointing at the shaker with his finger, a woman eating a sandwich while reading a hovering book, which seemed to be turning its pages on its own, and a solitary boom that was sweeping the floors around the room, and was closely followed by a dustpan. Hermione felt her mother's hand rest gently on her shoulder, and she looked up into her mother's brilliant eyes. Jean Granger smiled down at her beaming daughter, taking in her delighted expression.

As his wife and daughter continued to watch the patrons of the restaurant, Richard walked up to a hunched back man, and said, "I'm looking for the manager of this establishment. I believe his name is Tom."

The man gazed up at Mr. Granger and gave him a smile that horrified the dentist in him. Missing teeth, rotting teeth, and chipped teeth adorned this man's mouth, which he opened for his reply, "At you service, Sir. How may I help you today?"

Richard smiled back down at the man he now knew to be Tom and said, "My name is Richard Granger, and this is my wife Jean," he put his arm around his wife's waist, "and our daughter, Hermione. We were told to speak with you about how to enter into Diagon Alley for Hermione's school things."

Tom gave the family another, almost, toothless smile, to which Richard could have sworn he felt his wife also grimace at the sight. "Ah, Ms. Hermione Granger. I've been expecting you. Follow me, if you'd please." With that, Tom turned around, and hobbled to the back of the crowed restaurant. As they made their way, Hermione watched as Tom pulled a brown wand from his pocket before opening the door that was in front of him. As he pushed it open, a brick alley was revealed to them, which was lined with several full garbage bags.

The four of them stepped out into the back alley, Jean and Richard exchanging questioning glances, while Hermione stared in wonder at the hunched man. Tom looked over at Hermione and smiled again, unfortunately, before turning back and tapping several random bricks on the wall. When he was finished, Hermione watched in amazement as the stones began to twist and turn, shifting this way and that, until they formed an archway leading into a congested area that read DIAGON ALLEY.

(Ron POV)

It was August the 8th, and the Weasley family were all standing around their fire place, watching Mr. Weasley grab the emerald green bag of floo powder. Arthur took a small amount before handing the bag to Percy, stepped into the fireplace yelled, "DIAGON ALLEY!" and threw the powder at his feet. Percy went next, followed by Fred, then George, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, and, finally, Ron. Ron hated traveling by floor powder. No matter how many times he had used it over his life, it still made him want to puke once he landed, especially right after he'd eaten. He took a bit of the powder in his hands, and closed his eyes as he shouted his destination, bracing himself for the inevitable nausea, before throwing the floo powder at his feet. His stomach swirled around and around, until he was finally thrown out onto the hearth of the Diagon Alley floo stop, where he was greeted by the rest of the Weasleys. His mother and father started briskly walking towards Gringotts, closely followed by their children as they went to retrieve a bit of gold in order to buy this years school supplies. Ron brushed himself off, and shook out his hair before jogging to catch up with with his family.

Ron stayed in the back of the group looking in, and noticed Fred and George exchanged whispers and nods before Fred started walking up to their mother.

"Mum," said Fred, walking in step with his mother, "Do you think George and I could meet up with Lee at Florean Fortescue's at 1:00, after we get our books?" Mrs. Weasley turned to look at her son, who had an all too innocent look on his face.

"Yeah Mum," said George, who materialized on the other side of her, wearing the same innocent expression, "We just want to get a bit of ice cream with our best mate on this brutally warm day, nothing else."

Molly eyed her two sons, as if she were debating what mischief the two, or rather three if she counted Lee Jordan, were planning. Ron smirked, as he was often used to his mother wearing that look whenever she was asked a question by the twins.

"And during this little outing, the two of you wouldn't be planning on setting off any of those stink bombs I found tucked under your bed, would you?" She was now openly glaring at her two sons, daring them to lie to her.

"MUM!" said George, putting a hand to his chest, acting shocked, "I never! Me and Fred? When would we EVER do something like that?"

"You wound us with your words, Mum" piped in Fred, also holding his chest. "We would never even think of doing something like that!"

Ginny smirked and giggled, but quickly stopped when her mothers piercing eyes landed on her, before she whipped he head back to the twins. "Oh, no! Not you two!" said Mrs. Weasley, "Those must have been some other twins who set off stink bombs in our backyard only last weekend!"

"That was an accident!" said Fred.

"Yeah Mum, we thought they were…Fillibuster Fireworks…" George lamely said, feeling slightly intimidated by his mothers stern look. Ron laughed as his brothers were verbally attacked by his mum's shrill voice.

As they continued down Diagon Alley, Ron smiled as a slight breeze rustled his hair, while the warm sun shined above. It was definitely a nice day to be outside, he thought. Ron watched as all the witches and wizards went about their daily lives, talking merrily with one another, or buying supplies they needed.

When the Weasleys made it into Gringotts, Mr. Weasley went up to the nearest Goblin to ask to be taken to their family vault. Soon, the family was on a speeding cart being steered by a balding Goblin in a green and gold suit. Fred and George were in the back with their hands in the air whooping and hollering, Percy was sitting as far away from them as possible, looking scrunched in the small corner, holding on for dear life and looking as though he was going to be sick, Mr. Weasley held his wife and Ginny to his side, and Ron sat alone opposite them, watching ahead as they made their way to the vault.

In next to no time, they stopped at vault 497. The little goblin extracted the lamp from the cart and waddled his way over the vault, inserting the key into the lock, and pushing the door open to reveal a very small amount of gold in the far right corner. Mr. Weasley walked to the gold, his feet echoing with each step in the nearly empty vault, and scooped up what he felt was needed. Ron looked away. He hated seeing how little his family had, and that they always struggled. The trip to Diagon Alley at the beginning of every school year was always the hardest one, as they went through so much for new supplies, well, new to them. The supplies they bought were usually 2nd hand.

They made their way out of the bank, and stepped back outside into the warm sun.

"Alright. Where to first?" asked Mr. Weasley.

(Hermione POV)

The Grangers exited the wizard bank called Gringotts with a pouch filled with galleons, sickles, and knuts. Hermione was examining each type of coin in her hand as they made their way to their first destination.

"Let's get your robes first, Hermione." Said Mrs. Granger, looking at the map of Diagon Alley she was holding. "It says here that the store Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions is right by the bank, and robes are the first items on your list."

Hermione looked up at her mother, closing her hands around the three coins she was carrying, and smiled. "Okay, mum." She took her hand, and the family made a left turn in the direction of Madam Malkins.

The front of the store was painted a navy blue color, and had a window display of moving mannequins dressed in black, blue, and purple robes. Hermione watched as the objects moved, displaying the magnificent items they were wearing, before her mother grabbed her hand and escorted her through the shops front door. Inside, there was a short woman with white hair, dressed in a light blue dress, standing behind a counter at the end of the shop.

"Hello there!" said the witch, wearing a friendly smile, "I'm Madam Malkin. How may I assist you this morning?" She asked moving from behind the counter to greet the family.

Hermione saw her father step forward with his arm outstretched. "My name is Richard Granger, and this is Jean, my wife, and our daughter, Hermione."

Hermione also took a step towards the woman, and said, "How do you do?" With a timid smile.

"I'm excellent, dear." Madam Malkin said. "Come to get your new school robes, I take it?" She was still smiling at Hermione, and had a twinkle in her bright blue eyes.

"Yes, Ma'am." Hermione replied, with a smile of her own.

"Well then, up in front of the mirror then, dear. Let us take your measurements."

Hermione moved over to the left side of the room, where there were 4 large mirrors in place. As she stood there, a floating measuring tape zoomed over to her, and started to try and wrap itself around her waist. Hermione jumped in shock.

"It's alright dear. It's just trying to take your measurements while I go collect some school robes." Madam Malkin said, making her way into the back room of the shop.

Jean and Richard watched as the measuring tape zoomed around their daughter, moving this way and that, circling her waist, her arms, measuring her height, until they heard the opening of the back door, again, as Madam Malkin made her return.

"Alright. Here we are. Some nice, new robes for you."

Hermione stood stock still as the tape continued around her, continuing its task.

"That's enough, thank you." Said Madam Malkin, to Hermione thought was no one in particular, until she saw the tape fall to the ground. "Alright. Let's get started."

As the Grangers left the shop, waving back to Madam Malkin, brand new school robes in hand, Jean checked Hermione's list once again, and then looked at her watch.

"It's 12:00 now. Should we go fetch your books now?"

"Yes!" said Hermione, beaming, and practically sprinting to the shop next door, which was painted black and gold, and had large windows displaying multiple books. Jean and Richard smiled to one another as they followed an eager Hermione into the shop, Flourish and Blotts. When they opened the door, they saw Hermione looked awe struck at the sight in front of her.

Hermione had never seen a better place in all her life. There were two levels to the shop, each packed with row upon row of books, all about wizards and witches. The room also had a warm atmosphere, with armchairs scattered around the store, some by a fire place, others in a nice corner for someone to curl up and read. There were quite a few people in the store as well, some on their own, others in a group, most likely looking for school books as well.

"Hello. Welcome to Flourish and Blotts. Can I help you folks find something this morning?" Said a man wearing green robes.

"Yes, please." Said Richard. "We're here to get my daughters school books for her first year at Hogwarts." As he went up to the man to show him the list, the man put up his hand.

"No worries, sir. I know the list inside and out. Follow me, please." He turned and walked down the middle of the store before taking a left into a row of bookshelves. The Grangers followed close behind, Hermione looking all around the room at all of the different books. She loved the smell of the store, already, as it smelled of worn books and parchment. She could stay here forever.

The wizard came to stop in front of a bookshelf before pulling out The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1). He handed it to Mr. Granger, and said, "Here we are. Next book is A History of Magic, I believe." And brought them to their next destination. They picked up all of Hermione's school books, which Richard felt like he was drowning under.

"A little help, Jean dear." He said, almost dropping all of the books at once.

"Oh, of course!" said his wife as she scrambled to help Mr. Granger with the tremendous amount of books.

Hermione continued to walk around the store, still mesmerized by all that was around her. They had made it back downstairs, and Hermione started wandering around through all the different shelves of books. She looked at all the different titles, and saw one book in particular that caught her eye. Hermione pulled out Hogwarts: A History, and nearly dropped it from it's massive size. When she got a good grip of the book, she put it under her arm for safe keeping before she continued her way around the store. As she took a right at the end of the aisle, she heard bickering from a small group of wizards next to her. Hermione hid behind her bookshelf as she listened in.

"Aw, Mum, come on! Please!" Said a ginger haired boy to a short, stout woman, who also had a head of red hair.

"Absolutely not, George! Put it back, now!" Said the woman in a cross voice.

The boy mumbled something and made his way back into the bookshelves. Hermione watched as he made his way to, what must have been his twin. She watched them put their heads together, and look back at their mother as she was clucking at another red headed child, who must have been her daughter. Hermione watched her lick her finger and try to get something off of the little girls face. "Hold still, Ginny! Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts! I swear, your brothers are going to be the death of me. Like they don't get into enough trouble on their own!" As she said this she was rubbing faster at the little girls face.

Hermione turned back to the twin boys and saw them nod to each other, and sneak off to the register, as their mother was preoccupied.

"I've got my books." Said another boy, coming up to the short woman, looking around with a cocky air about him. He was wearing a badge with a large P on it, which he took off, breathed on, and began shining, before placing it back onto his black robes.

"Alright Percy. We're almost done here. Where's Ron? We have to finish getting his books." Said the woman, turning to look at the taller boy.

"He's coming now with dad." The boy said, pointing in front of him.

Hermione turned to look where the older boy was pointing, and saw a boy, Ron, who was around her age, walking with a man that must have been his father. Like the rest of the family, he had flaming read hair, and was wearing black robes as well. He was looking down at his shoes as he walked next to the older man, shuffling his feet as they made their way towards the woman, older boy, and girl. Hermione continued to stare at the boy. She saw that he looked about her age, and wondered if she would be seeing him at Hogwarts as well. As she thought this, the boy looked up and stared at her with bright blue eyes. He gave her a small smile, and a little wave as he passed her. Hermione watched him and tilted her head, giving a timid smile and small wave back. _He's cute_, Hermione thought, and then shook her head, _stop it Hermione! _As she started turning around to make her way back to her parents, she heard them call to her.

"Hermione, where are you? Come on, sweetheart." Jean said, as she checked each aisle for her daughter. "There you are. We have to finish this list. It's nearly 1:00."

"Jean, I think I'm going to bring these items back to the car before we continue. These books are quite heavy." Richard said, carrying a mound of books.

"Would it be alright it we bought this book, mum? It's about Hogwarts." Hermione said excitedly, showing her mother the fantastic find.

Jean smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm at discovering such a large book. "Of course, dear." Richard groaned as they made their way back to the register to buy one more book before they exited the store.

"We're going to go and get Hermione's cauldron and other supplies in the stores by the Leaky Cauldron while you put the rest of the items back in the car. Meet us in the shop when you're done, Richard." Said Jean, as she led Hermione into the Cauldron Shop.

(Ron POV)

The Weasleys had been in Flourish and Blotts for about 30 minutes. They would have been there longer, but because they split up to find their own books, they finished rather quickly. Ron had gone with his father to the back of the store where the discount, 2nd hand section was located. His father looked down at him and gave him a small smile before pulling out Ron's booklist, and checking for the books they needed. Ron helped his father, trying to find the best copies possible to buy, but still making sure they weren't overly expensive. When they finished gathering all that they needed, they made their way back to Mrs. Weasley, who was with Ginny by the front of the store.

Ron stared at his feet, which were showing quite a bit under his hand-me-down robes. They were his brother Bill's from when he was younger. They had already made their way around Diagon Alley for most of the items they needed to buy, however, they purchased the majority of their supplies at the Junk Shop. He just hoped that he would still be accepted by others, even though his stuff wasn't going to be top of the line. _Probably not, though_, he thought. He didn't really have anything to offer. He wasn't the smartest, or the funniest, the richest, or the most athletic. He was just Ron. He sighed and looked up as he heard Percy's voice.

That's when he saw a cute, bushy, brown haired girl standing in the aisle he was approaching, holding the largest book he had ever seen. Ron gave her a small smile as he walked closer, still making eye contact. _Maybe she's going to Hogwarts, too_, he thought. She was dressed in muggle clothes, shorts and a t-shirt, and looked to be about his age. Ron waved at the girl, and saw her smile and wave back. _She's cute_, Ron thought after passing the girl. He frowned and shook his head. _Shut up, Ron_.

"Got all our books?" asked his mum, rubbing at Ginny's face with her thumb.

"Yes, Molly dear. I'm about to go pay now." Said his dad, making his way to the back of the store again.

"Where have those twins got off to. Probably snuck off to meet Jordan, I suppose." She mumbled, also leaving to go look for her boys.

Ron stood by Percy and Ginny, waiting for the return of their parents, thinking about his upcoming year, and whether or not he'd see the bushy haired girl again.

(Hermione POV)

By 2:30 Hermione had purchased the majority of her school supplies. She could not stop smiling as she made her way down the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley, passing witches and wizards left and right. She loved all the magic that was around her, and for the first time felt as though she was in the world she belonged. The last stop the Grangers had to make was to Olivander's to purchase Hermione's wand, and Hermione couldn't get there fast enough.

The outside of Olivander's Wand Shop was painted a silvery grey, and had wands displayed in each window. Hermione tried to keep herself from running inside as she waited for her parents, before eagerly entering the shop. The interior of the store was lined with narrow boxes, and had a staircase to the second floor where there continued to be even more boxes. There was an old, worn counter 7 feet into the room, but had no one behind it. The ticking of a clock, and the creak of the door rang through the, what seemed to be, deserted store.

"Hello?" Hermione said, hoping someone would answer. "Is anybody in here?"

She heard the shuffling of feet from the back room, before an older gentleman with snow white hai,r and bright blue eyes came to meet her. He stopped at the counter and gave her a slow smile.

"Ah. New student at Hogwarts, I presume." Said the gentleman. "Muggle-born, too, if I'm not mistaken."

"What's a…" Hermione began, but was cut off by the old man.

"My name is Mr. Olivander. If you would please, I knew because I have never seen your parents in all my years of making wands." The man continued to look at her, as if trying to read her life's story. "And what might I call you, my dear?" The old man asked.

Richard stepped forward in front of his daughter. "I'm Richard Granger, and this is my daughter, Hermione. We've come to purchase her wand for her first year at Hogwarts."

"Pleasure." Said Mr. Olivander, still looking at Hermione. "Hold out your wand hand, if you please, Miss. Granger."

"My, my wand hand?" Asked Hermione, now nervous and confused. She didn't like the way that Mr. Olivander was staring at her. He had a way of making her uneasy.

"The hand you write with, my dear."

"Oh, of course." Said Hermione, shakily holding out her right hand to the man.

As one did in Madam Malkin's, a type measure flew up, and began taking her arm measurements as Mr. Olivander strode to the back of the shop in search for a wand. Hermione stared at the tape looping itself down her arm, unraveling itself, and then measuring her from shoulder to middle finger.

"Here, let's see how you are with this. Ash, 10 ½ inches, dragon heartstring." He stared at Hermione until she took the wand in her hand.

Hermione picked up the wand nervously, but when she held it, something felt off about it. She didn't know what to do with the wand, either. She stared blankly at Mr. Olivander.

"Wave it, Miss Granger." He said as though it were obvious.

Hermione whirled the wand, heard a loud _CRACK_ as three of the steps on the stairs cracked in half.

"Alright. Something else." Mr. Olivander went back three or four more times, grabbing different wands for Hermione to try. Hermione felt horrible. She'd cracked the stairs, shattered three panes of the front window, scattered papers all over the floor, and knocked over a book case. The room was in tatters, and Hermione debated whether this was a huge mistake. Maybe she wasn't supposed to be a witch after all.

"The wand chooses the witch, Miss Granger, not the other way around. We just have to find your wand." Mr. Olivander said, as he took out his wand, and pointed it at the window, fixed the glass, then put the bookshelf back against the wall, cleaned up the papers, and fixed the large cracks in his stairs. He then walked up to the second floor before returning back down to her, holding a red colored box. "Try this one. Vine, 10 ¾ inches, dragon heartstring." He opened the top of the box, and held it in front of Hermione.

Hermione looked nervously at Mr. Olivander before reaching her hand in to grasp the wand. She felt shocks at her finger tips as she held the wand in her hand. It felt perfect. She pointed the wand and watched as 50 or so daises sprouted out of the wooden panels of the floor.

"Excellent! Excellent, Miss Granger. I have a feeling we will be seeing much greatness come from you, my dear." Said Mr. Olivander, reboxing Hermione's wand and moving towards the register.

Jean and Richard watched their daughter with tears in their eyes. Hermione was officially a witch. They looked at the floor of flowers that she had created, then back at her, smiling and silently crying. All Hermione could do was grin in delight.


	3. Chapter 3: The Journey to Platform

AN: First off, I'm sorry about how long it's been since I last updated. I had pretty much finished chapter 3, when I went back to the book to reference something, and realized that a lot of what I had written didn't flow/ match exactly what happens in the book. So, I went back, and wrote my story while listening to my Harry Potter audio books lol hopefully we're all good now, though. Secondly, I'm sorry for the lack of interaction that's been happening between the characters right now, but we're entering Hogwarts, or the train, now, so we'll be seeing some more human conversations, rather than thought bubbles lol Finally, reviews and suggestions are always welcome If you have a mini idea of a Ron and Hermione conversation, or would like to see a certain scene play out, write a review, or just tell me if you like the story or hate it (although, if it's the latter, helpful critiques would be nice rather than outwardly ripping my work to shreds lol) Okay. So, that's all we've got right now. Here's the next installation.

Chapter 3: The Journey to Platform Nine and Three-quarters

(Hermione POV)

Hermione sat on her four-poster bed, reading Hogwarts: A History for the 3rd time, taking in all the information about the school she was going to be attending. She had packed up all her belongings in her trunk, which sat at the foot of her bed, and was ready to make the drive to King's Cross in the morning. It had been 23 days since Hermione had purchased her school things, and she had already gone through most of her school books, making notes for herself, and memorizing information so she wouldn't be behind on her first day. She even started practicing some simple spells from her books, delighting in the fact that she could repair certain objects, and almost made some items fly. With each attempt, she began to feel more and more confident in her future as at Hogwarts.

Hermione had learned as much as she could about the wizarding world when she returned from Diagon Alley. Before leaving, she and her parents stepped into Flourish and Blotts for a second time to find a few more books that interested her. She learned all about the First Wizarding War, and a wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort, or You-Know-Who as he was more commonly referred to. She was horrified by the cruelty and evil he displayed over the years, torturing, destroying, and killing wherever he went. She also read in several books about the boy who defeated him, Harry Potter. He was just a baby when the Dark Lord tried to end his life, but the spell backfired, leaving Harry with a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

As she continued to flip the pages of her book, Hermione felt her eyes begin to drop. She put down the book and looked at the clock on her nightstand. 11:30 p.m. She was excited about the next day that she had been sitting in bed reading for the past 2 hours, rather than falling asleep. But as Hermione felt herself yawn, she closed her book, got under the bed. She leaned over to shut off her bedside lamp, casting the room into darkness, except for the bright stars and hint of moon that shown through the window. Hermione smiled and closed her eyes, snuggling into her pillow before falling asleep, and dreaming about her future at Hogwarts.

(Ron POV)

"MUM!" screamed Percy, running down stairs to the kitchen where his mother was currently cleaning the counter tops. Ron watched from the living room couch, flipping through a book about the Chudley Cannons. "They took it AGAIN! I need to shine my Prefects badge for tomorrow!"

"I thought you shined it earlier this morning, Percy." Said Mrs. Weasley, still scrubbing the counters clean.

"I did, but I need to shine it three times a day! And that's not the point! Fred and George took it when I was going to get my polishing potion!" Said Percy, his ginger curls falling in front of his face as he became more and more agitated.

Ron looked at his brother's scarlet face, and let his eyes travel down to the brand new robes Percy had acquired, a gift for being Gryfindor Prefect, and shook his head. He couldn't believe all the special treatment his brother was getting because of a stupid badge; new robes, new books, and even a new owl, leaving Ron with Percy's pathetic grey rat, Scabbers. The twins, who even though they didn't have any pets of their own, snickered at Ron as Percy handed Scabbers to him, before putting on a straight face and offering to show him a spell to make him yellow. It was most likely a dud, but he wanted to try it out, just in case. Ron mentally rolled his eyes every time he thought about using Charlie's old wand, as they couldn't even afford to get him a new one. Well, they probably could, but after buying Percy all new things, there was no way that they had the money to purchase him a wand of his own. Ron was brought out of his thoughts by his mother's voice.

"Alright Percy, I'll talk to them." She said, finally turning around now that the counters were done. She pointed her wand at the sink so the dishes would begin washing themselves before hollering, "FRED! GEORGE! Get down here this instant!"

The twins came skidding down the stairs, stopping at the entrance of the kitchen. George was wearing the badge on the left side of his chest, which he thrust out in mock-pride. "What is it mother? Us Prefects have busy lives, you know. I've had to polish my badge 17 times this past hour for it to shine bright enough to blind someone."

"Give me back my badge right now!" said Percy, lunging for George's chest. "You're going to scuff it, or worse, scratch it."

"Is it a Prefects badge, Perce?" Said Fred. "I could have sworn it was a Pompous badge, the way you've been acting."

"Shut up and give it here!"

"Give it back to your brother right now, George." Said Mrs. Weasley, glowering at her son. "Percy has worked very hard for that badge!"

Ron went back to reading his book. He knew that Percy always worked hard to get good grades, but the Fred and George did have a point. Percy had started acting smug as hell ever since he received his Prefects badge, and as a result, the twins had been making fun of him more than usual. Ron missed the days when the Burrow was not constantly filled with yelling and screaming.

Ron set his book down on the coffee table and watched his mum work in the kitchen. He couldn't believe that tomorrow was his first day starting school; it seemed unreal. He had been taking the ride to Kings Cross to drop his brother's off at the Hogwarts Express his whole life, and it was finally his turn. _I just hope I don't make a fool of myself_ he thought, feeling his anxiety slowly creep up on him. He shook his head before getting off the couch and picking up his book.

"I'm gonna head up, Mum." Ron said, startling his mother who was now drying the plates that had just been washed.

"Good night, Ron. Make sure you get some sleep. Big day tomorrow." His mother said, smiling at him.

Ron gave an anxious smile back. "Yeah. I'll see you in the morning." He walked up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. As he began to turn to head up, he felt his mum grab his elbow before turning him back in her arms and hugging him tight.

"I love you, Ron, so very much. I know your future at Hogwarts is going to be a wonderful one." She whispered. His mum continued to hold him to her for a few more seconds, before kissing his cheek and sending him off to bed.

As he walked up, he could have sworn he heard her sniffle in the distance.

(Hermione POV)

It was 5:30 a.m., and Hermione was up and making her bed, already dressed for her trip to Kings Cross. The Grangers were leaving the house at 7:00, and Hermione wanted to make sure she could go over everything, just to be sure she didn't leave anything behind.

After double checking the items in her trunks, and the extra bag for the remaining books she was taking along, Hermione felt safe that she had not forgotten anything. She stood up from the floor and went over to a chair in the corner of her room where she had laid out her outfit the night before. Once she was changed, Hermione made her way to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and held up a piece of bushy hair. She frowned as she stared at it before taming it the best she could.

Finished with her morning routine, Hermione traveled downstairs to greet her parents in the kitchen, her mother once again making breakfast at the stove, cleaning up her mess as she went, and her father sitting at the head of the table reading the paper. Hermione kissed her mother and father on the cheek. She looked at the clock and saw that it was already 6:30.

"I still need to bring my things down, dad." Hermione said, drawing her father's attention from the paper to his daughter. "Do you think you could help me with my trunks?"

"Of course, Hermione." Her father said, smiling warmly. He took a sip of his coffee, set it down, and continued, "We have to leave here in 30 minutes so we can be on the road. I hope we don't get caught in too much traffic."

Hermione was worried about traffic as well, but tried to not let it get her down. She had never been more excited about something in all her life than she was about going to Hogwarts. "We'll be fine, dad." Hermione said, hoping her positivity would make it true.

Mrs. Granger brought the breakfast plates to the table, setting one in front of Hermione and her husband while asking, "Hermione, could you get the juice from the fridge?" before settling down in her own seat.

Hermione got up to grab the pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice, and returned to the table, filling each of their glasses.

"Are you excited about your first day, Hermione?" Asked her mother, taking a bite of fruit salad on her plate.

"Very!" said Hermione, also spearing a piece of fruit before happily plopping it in her mouth.

"Now, we want you to send us an owl at the end of your first week to tell us how everything is going for you. Your mother and I want to make sure you've settled in properly, and are feeling comfortable in a new setting." Said her father. "If anything doesn't feel right, and you want to come home, just tell us, and we'll come and get you, alright?"

"I don't think that's going to be necessary, dad, but I will if anything seems off putting." Hermione said, smiling at her father and eating another piece of fruit.

The Grangers finished their meals, brushed their teeth, and whatever else they needed to do before heading off to the train station. Richard went into Hermione's room to grab one of her trunks, huffing and puffing as he carried the massive object down the stairs. He was practically sweating when he came up for the second one.

"Need a hand, dad?" Hermione asked sweetly, putting a hairclip in the side of her hair, so it wouldn't be all in her face.

"No, no, Hermione, that's alright. Just grab your extra bag over there, will you?" Richard said, heaving the remaining trunk up, and exiting her bedroom. Hermione grabbed the extra bag, and followed her dad downstairs.

Packed in the navy blue station wagon once again, the Grangers made their way to Kings Cross Station, arriving at 8:30. Mr. Granger went off to fetch a trolley to carry Hermione's luggage as his wife and daughter exited the vehicle. When he came back, they loaded the trunks onto it, along with Hermione's extra bag, and looked at the Hogwarts ticket.

"Platform 9 ¾? Well, that doesn't make any sense, does it?" said Jean, looking closely at the ticket. She looked back up and spotted Platforms 9 and 10, but none that read 9 ¾. "This must be a mistake." She continued, looking back down to stare at the ticket, as though doing so would change the platform number.

Hermione looked around the train station, hoping against hope she might recognize a fellow witch or wizard going to Hogwarts as well. As she was searching, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her do a double take. She could have sworn she saw a man pulling a trolley and walking straight into a stone wall, but rather than smashing into it, he passed right through as though it were made of air. She stared at the area the man had just vanished from, and widened her eyes as she saw another person, this time a small girl, probably the same age as herself, walk through the wall as well. What was stranger was that nobody else seemed to be the wiser of it; they continued going about their daily lives, too busy to pay attention to their surroundings. As Hermione saw another person pass through the wall, she tilted her head up and saw that the wall they were walking into was between platforms 9 and 10. Hermione beamed.

"I found it!" She all but screamed, wheeling her trolley to platform 9 ¾, not checking to see if her parents were following. She could hear them jogging behind her, her mother's heels clicking on the pavement below. When she was almost there, Hermione stopped running abruptly, the trolley skidding as it came to a grinding halt in front of Platform 9 ¾.

(Ron POV)

It had been a hectic morning from the minute Ron had woken up. Fred and George thought it would be hilarious to wake up their baby brother with the sound of a horn in his ear, causing Ron to shoot out of bed swearing their names.

"BLOODY HELL! Are you fucking kidding me!" Ron screamed, rubbing his ears before chasing the cackling twins out of his room.

"Morning, Ickle Ronniekins." One of them cried before Ron slammed the door behind them. His ears were ringing as he quickly packed his trunk, shoving everything he needed into it. _Who needs to be neat and tidy _Ron thought to himself while cramming seven jumpers into his trunk, followed by his school robes. All of his school supplies had already been packed, and was sitting downstairs with the rest of the luggage.

"Oh, I forgot to make your sandwiches!" Ron heard his Mum cry, followed by the sounds of her scrambling around the kitchen in a last minute attempt to pack a lunch for all her children. Ron understand his mother's hectic behavior. It felt like just yesterday that he was in Diagon Alley with his family, collecting their supplies for the upcoming year at Hogwarts. Not much had happened between that day and today. His dad had his usual raids at work, his mum was always busy cleaning around the house, and the twins tortured Percy for being, in their words, "a pompous git." Ron shoved the last of his items into his trunk before closing it, which was only possible if he sat on top of it, before making his way downstairs.

His mum was still dashing around the kitchen, slicing the meat and cheese as a knife swiped mayonnaise onto pieces bread, and his dad was dressed for work at the end of the table, reading _The Daily Prophet_.

"Morning." Ron said, sliding an old wooden chair out next to his father. His dad looked up from the article he was reading, smiling at his youngest son.

"Good morning, Ron. Excited for your first day at Hogwarts?" His said, turning the page of the paper.

Ron didn't know what to say, as he couldn't tell whether he was more excited or nervous, so he chose to smile as a response, hoping that it didn't come across as a grimace. The rest of his brothers and Ginny came trudging down the stairs with their remaining trunks, all dressed in jeans and t-shirts, and took their seats around the kitchen table.

The family ate a quick breakfast before making their way to King Cross. Mrs. Weasley distributed the sandwiches to her children before they went to the platform. It was already 8:45, and Ron could tell she was getting nervous.

"It's the same EVERY year, packed with muggles, of course!" cried his mother, weaving her way in and out of bodies, her children keeping up best they could, racing to the platform as fast as possible.

"All right, Percy, you go first." She said, holding Ginny's hand, while Ron and his brothers waited for their turn. Fred and George were next after Percy, quickly vanishing through the wall. Ron started pulling up his trolley to go next, when a dark haired boy nervously approached his mother. The boy wore glasses, and his clothes looked two sized two large, not that Ron could really say anything about his own wardrobe, as they looked about two sizes two small. The boy was pushing a trolley that carried multiple trunks, and on top caged a snowy owl.

"Hello, dear." His mum greeted the boy, with a cheerful smile. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too." Said his mother, gesturing to him. The boy turned to Ron, looking at him before giving him a slight smile, which Ron returned. _I wonder where his parents are…maybe he's muggle-born, or something_, Ron thought, as he listened to the boy ask Ron's mother how to get onto the platform. Ron continued to look at him, as his mum explained how to get passed the barrier, wondering if he would get to know him better during their time at Hogwarts. He watched as the dark haired boy began slowly running towards the wall, before he, too, vanished through it.

"All right, Ron. You next, come on. Then Ginny and I will follow you." His mum smiled, giving him a little push forward.

Ron took a deep breath and stared at the wall before moving forward and passing through it like everyone else. He smiled as he saw the Hogwarts Express steaming in front of him. The platform was packed with students and parents saying goodbye to each other, having last minute conversations before the train left the station in 5 minutes time. Ron saw the bushy haired girl from Diagon Alley talking with her mother and father 20 feet away from him, before he felt his own mother put her arm around his shoulder.

"Come on, Ron. Let's go find your brothers."

(Hermione POV)

"Are you sure this is right, dear?" her mother asked, staring at the stone wall her daughter was planning on walking into. "We were rather far away from here when you thought you saw people pass through. Your eyes may have been playing tricks on you."

"I'm sure, mum." Hermione said confidently. She stared at the wall in front of her before turning back to her parents. "Just follow me after I make it through, alright?"

Her parents looked rather unconvinced, but nodded anyway, hoping that their daughter didn't make too big of a scene.

Hermione nodded, and turned back to the wall. She took a deep breath, and then started to move. The wall came closer and closer, but Hermione never faltered. The wall was a foot in front of her, and still, Hermione kept her pace, until suddenly it wasn't the stone wall that was in front of her, but rather a large, red, steaming train and a sign that read Hogwarts Express written above it. The smile that broke across Hermione's face was instantaneous. There were hundreds of witches and wizards on the new platform, helping their children onto the train, and saying last minute words to them.

"Unbelievable!" Hermione heard her father whisper behind her. She turned her head, and saw her mother and father looking in awe at the Hogwarts Express. "Absolutely unbelievable." Her father said again.

"What time is it, Richard?" her mother asked, looking over at her husband.

Looking down at his watch, Richard's eyes grew wide like saucers. "It's already 8:50! Come on, Hermione, let's find an empty carriage for you and your trunks."

The Grangers walked to the front of the train, looking for room, before finally finding a place for Hermione. Her father heaved her luggage up onto into the carriage, Hermione offering help the whole time. "Just take your extra bag, Hermione." He said, huffing, and rubbing his sleeve over his slightly damp brow. When the trunks were put away, Hermione and her father walked off the train to meet her mother.

"Five more minutes." Her dad said, looking back down at his watch. Hermione's eyes widened. It suddenly hit her that she wouldn't be seeing her parents until winter break. Three long months in a new school, where she could only speak to her mother and father by mail. She was excited to go to school, of course, but she would miss her parents dearly. As she looked up at her father with large, brown eyes, he enveloped her in a tight, warm, loving hug.

"You're going to do so well, Hermione. Your mother and I are so proud of you." He said, stroking her hair in a calming fashion, while holding her to him. Hermione hugged him back just as fiercely. "We believe in you, and know you're going to do many great things in this new chapter of your life." With one last squeeze, Richard let go of his daughter, who took a step back, only to be engulfed in an equally strong hug by her mother.

"We love you so much, Hermione." Her mother said, whispering in her ear. Hermione heard her mother sniffle into her hair as she continued to hold her tight to her chest. "Write us as soon as you can, alright?" Jean said, looking down at her daughter.

"I will, I promise." Hermione said, feeling slight tears sting the corner of her eyes. "I'll miss you." She said to both her parents.

"We'll miss you, too, Hermione. So much." Said her father, giving her one last hug.

The trains whistled behind them, signaling the first warning for students to get onto the train. Richard let go of Hermione, kissing her forehead, and Jean gave her daughter one last hug as well, before kissing her cheek.

"I love you!" Hermione said, stepping onto the train, while the second whistle made itself known in the background. Her parents waved at her, and Hermione waved back, blowing them kissed, before she disappeared onto the Hogwarts Express.

AN: So, this was the last chapter of the before really following the Harry Potter saga. Chapter 4 is going to start with Ron really meeting Harry for the first time when they are on the train, and the boys are going to be meeting Ms. Hermione Granger as well I'm also going to be following some parts of the movies as well, so I might have Hermione whip out her wand and fix Harry's glasses, rather than give her long, fast paced speech to the boys, like she did in the books. Again, I'm sorry for the wait between chapters, but chapter 4 will be posted soon!


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